Legacy brand celebrates openings, national honors and major momentum heading into 2026
Davenport, IA (RestaurantNews.com) 2025 has been another great year for Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream. Not only did the long-standing Midwest brand strengthen its franchise pipeline, but it also celebrated significant industry recognition and national acclaim, highlighting a year of growth and momentum for Happy Joe’s.
The year brought the reopening of the New Ulm location and renewed development efforts that support planned growth across Texas, Iowa, and new states with franchise opportunities in 2026. The spring opening in Oro Valley, Ariz., continues the company’s forward trajectory.
Happy Joe’s also celebrated a strong year in industry recognition. In the 2025 Pizza Marketplace Top 100 Movers & Shakers, the brand ranked #21. Tom Sacco, CEO, President, and Chief Happiness Officer, was included on Pizza Marketplace’s Top 25 Executives list for the third consecutive year, underscoring his leadership of the brand’s renewed direction.
The company also received national praise for menu innovation. Happy Joe’s “Big Max Pizza” earned a WIN in Flavor & The Menu, and the brand ranked No. 464 on the Franchise Times Top 400 while also being featured on QSR Magazine’s 9 Franchises to Watch for 2025.
The brand’s media visibility reached new heights in 2025. Sacco was featured on the cover of the January/February issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine, spotlighting the company’s strategic direction. Additional coverage included Haley Lueth’s byline in PMQ during Women’s Empowerment Month, the “CEO-to-CEO” podcast with Sacco and Ashley’s Answers in PMQ on training and team development. The brand also landed consistent placement in holiday and seasonal roundups throughout the year, including the Big Game, Lent, Easter, Pi Day, National Pizza Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Week, Tax Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Veterans Day.
The company’s commitment to the community remained central. Nearly 2,000 children with special needs attended the annual Happy Joe’s Holiday Parties for Children with Special Needs on Dec. 2 and 3 at Vibrant Arena in Moline. Children enjoyed free pizza, soda, and ice cream, performances from the Happy Joe’s Hip Hop Dancers, visits from Happy the Dog, Santa, and Mrs. Claus, and each child received a gift, a free book, from Books-A-Million.
Sacco said the year reflects Happy Joe’s heart and mission while setting the tone for the brand’s future.
“Happy Joe’s has stood for joy, family, and community for more than half a century,” Sacco said. “This year showed what is possible when franchisees, team members, and guests believe in that mission. We expanded into new markets, earned recognition from our industry, and created meaningful moments for the communities we love. As we look toward 2026, we are committed to keeping that spirit at the center of everything we do.”
The brand also continued to strengthen its franchise development pipeline, with new openings planned for the coming year and growing interest from operators nationwide. Prospective franchisees are encouraged to learn more about opportunities at HappyJoesFranchising.com.
To learn more about Happy Joe’s, visit HappyJoes.com. For interest in Happy Joe’s franchising opportunities, email Kat Davidson at KatD@drhnow.com or call 678.485.8413.
About Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream
Founded in 1972 by Joe Whitty in Davenport, Iowa, Happy Joe’s dream was to create a restaurant concept that focused on serving America’s two favorite foods – pizza and ice cream – in a family-friendly, celebratory environment. Owned and operated by Dynamic Restaurant Holdings Inc., Happy Joe’s has been named a QSR Magazine “Top 50 Contender,” Pizza Marketplace “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” pizza brand, FastCasual “Top 200” concept, Franchise Times “Top 400” business, and Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 500” restaurant. The family-centric pizza brand has three company and 43 franchise locations throughout the Midwest, with more in the pipeline. To learn more, visit HappyJoes.com or follow Happy Joe’s on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact:
Jay Brasher
Champion
972-930-9933
jbrasher@championmgt.com
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